The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Rodolfo Salalima reassured Filipinos that the government will continue to support and maintain strong collaboration with the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector.

"Consistent with the commitment of President Rodrigo R. Duterte to the BPO sector, DICT shall continue to fulfill its duties and maintain our strong collaboration with our BPOs. It is clear that the creation of DICT will make the country a prime spot for the BPO industry and we assure you that the same objective and mandate of our department will remain and be pursued," said Salalima in a press statement.

"The Philippine Government, through DICT, shall continue what has been started with regards to the BPO industry. Contracts that has been enforced and still existing shall be respected and will continue until their full implementation," he added.

This comes in the light of Duterte's announcement of separation of the Philippines from its long standing ally - the United States - both in military and economics. The President made the statement during his keynote address at the Philippines-China Trade Investment Forum on 20 October 2016 in Beijing, China.

However, following his return in the country on 21 October 2016, Duterte explained that the statement did not meant severing ties with the U.S.; but rather the foreign policy of Philippines does not need to be dovetailed with that of America.

"It's not severance of ties. When you say severance of ties, you cut the diplomatic relations. I cannot do that. Why? It's to the best interest of my country that we maintain that relationship. Why? Because there are many Filipinos in the United States... Americans of Filipino ancestry. Why? Because the people of my country are not ready to accept," said Duterte in a report by the Philippine News Agency (PNA).